NLC - Is Carp Lust Wrong? - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "Is Carp Lust Wrong?" module.

It's a eurorack module. 

What exactly is it? 

It's a module loosely based on the Karplus Strong algorithm.

Karplus Strong is a pretty obscure synthesis method developed in the 1980s and used in physical modelling mainly of plucked strings

It was named after its principal inventors, Kevin Karplus and Alex Strong.

Think about how a acoustic string instrument works. 

When you first pluck the string it vibrates like mad. It has waveforms which are rich 

in harmonics. These initial waveforms are determined by  the mass and tension of the string. 

After being plucked, the string looses energy over time and becomes less complex, resulting in a "purer" tone with fewer harmonics. Eventually, the vibration stops, when all the energy is gone.

Basically the module works by exciting the delay with a burst of noise and running the feedback up...& changing the delay time to change the pitch and tone.

Links

+ Wiki

+ BOM..

Some of the parts aren't super common so I'll probably need to do a order from mouser 

(or your fav supplier) I think.

LM78L05 - +5V voltage regulator

LM13700M... yes

555 timer .... its a NE555 (yes)

BC857 x5 , BC847 x4

S1JL rectifier (the dot is the cathode)

                                                                                                                                Diodes = LL4148

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Waiting for parts....

V3207 or V3205 BBD chip ... order  ... you only need one of these !!!!

The V3207 is a cool audio replacement for the 1024-stage BBD analog delay Panasonic MN 3207 chip.

I ended up buying a DIP 8  coolaudio V3205 chip on ebay.

5v1 zener...on order ... tayda

I ended up using a 5V6 zener

J309 FET 

CD 40106

..

.

NLC - More (cowbell drum module) - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "more" module.

It's a eurorack module.

This module contains three individual cowbell circuits based on those in the Roland TR-808.

Links

+ Wiki

+ BOM

As far as parts go there isn't anything rare or hard to find.

CD 40106 

& three Opamps - TL072

CD40106 (CMOS IC with 6 Schmitt trigger inverters)

The really cool thing about this circuit is that it uses a logic chip to make metallic noise

Each bell uses 2 of the 6 oscillators.

I think in the 808, similar circuits provide the basis for the cymbal & hi hat sounds

The original 808 used band pass filters to remove the upper and lower partials.

Andrew's description is as follows:

"The filters are fixed as per the original design. This means the output

is loudest when the oscillators are set close to the operating frequency

range of the filters and softer when the oscillators are at much higher

or lower settings. For me, this seems fine, but mess with the filter

values if you like. I have seen some mods of the 2k2 to ground resistor

varied to change the filter range. In proto-typing, this was

experimented with but I didn’t feel it was much improvement."

resistors next

Diodes: LL4148

These are the power protection voltage rectifiers... or just use a 10 ohm resistor and dont plug the module in backwards.

You'll need a through hole +5V 100mA voltage regulator : 78L05. 

power header

Transistors : BC857, 847

Six 1M pots.

12 sockets

The accent input is tied to the trigger input via the switch tab,

probably best to use a gate rather than a trigger to get the sound going,

but that depends on what you want to do. Otherwise patch whatever you

like to make things happen.

This is a dense but easy build.

More links

+ Hackaday

+ Roland TR-808 cowbell rebuild

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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NLC - Tinkle (drum module) - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "Tinkle" module.

Tinkle..... 4 channel preset drum module with a distortion circuit added on the summed output.

TINKLE & STOCHAOS 1

Links;

+ Wiki

+ BOM

I found the PCB you be very " tightly packed"... so use a soldering iron with a fine tip to avoid shorts.

The drums are based on the so called “Gamelan resonator” circuit developed by Paul DeMarinis in the early 70s for his Pygmy Gamelan device. 

They are quite simple but have a lovely gentle tone and are easily tunable using different capacitors and gain resistors. 

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want & different resistor values to vary the gain. 

It would be good to build a few of these to have some variations in pitch

The distortion circuit is fairly harsh but when the drums are feed high frequency clocks you can get some quite heavy sync’d riffs going.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

Parts

TL072 or TL082 4 Soic Tayda: A-1139

LM3900 1 Soic Mouser Part No: 595-LM3900DR .

LL4148 6 sod-80 Tayda: A-1213

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The 5V1 zeners limit the output of Razors to +/-5V, they do not

have to be installed.... order

Mouser have a lot of 5V1 zeners in stock, some numbers are

78-BZT55C5V1-GS18 or 78-BZT55C5V1 or 78-TZMC5.1

Tayda have a sod-80 5V6 zener which is close enough - A-6014

I'm using a VISHAY TZM5232B-GS08 from Tayda (X-4504)

Zener Single Diode, 5.6 V, 500 mW, SOD-80 (MiniMELF), 2 Pins, 175 °C, Surface Mount

There are 2 x 33K resistor marked..... replace these with10K

 

.

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want,

also need to select a resistor value to vary the gain. Some suggested

values are listed below, but feel free to experiment.

Each Gamelan circuit uses 3 caps & 1 resistor.

There are 4 of these circuits.

For comparison, Andrew has also included a pic of a Twin-T & bridged-T circuit.

These 3 circuits are resistor-capacitor networks which are placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp.

Twin-T Oscillators (sometimes known as parallel-T oscillators) are RC (resistor-capacitor) oscillators which produce a sinewave output .

Andrew built a Twin-T  (BongO) drum module many years ago which you might like to check out.

Bong0 - Bongo - Drum / VCO build notes

The Bridge-T oscillator is an even simpler form of RC network.

It's based on a bridge-T notched filter that is placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp, 

changing it from a notch to a bandpass filter.

The Roland TR 808 bass drum circuit is based around a bridged-T network oscillator.

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All the capacitors in the build, should be the same value for each Cx and Rx sets

the gain for that section.

For example, use three 2n2 capacitors for the three C1 pads and solder

200k into R1.

Cx   Rx

1n5 180k higher tone

2n2 200k

3n3 220k

4n7 220k

10n 200k

15n 390k

22n 510k

33n 680k lower tone

I think I'll mix things up

Gamelan 1 4n7 220k

Gamelan 2 10n 200k

Gamelan 3 22n 510k

Gamelan 4 33n 680k

It would be good to experiment with this values.

I reckon it would be fun to build a few of these 

modules with other combos.

I prefer the higher frequencies.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

The Razor is an unusual distortion circuit employing unbalanced comparators

to produce pulses that are mixed with the original signal. 

The Razor can be used as a separate module. Patching a signal into the input

disconnects the summed Tinkle signal.

.

final caps 7 resistors.

S1JL, Schottky, power

rectifier or 10R

Im using a 10R resistor

LL4148

headers to connect the 2 PCBs, & eurorack 10 pin power connector.

10 sockets, 1 x B100k pot

Pair this with a VCA/EG

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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NLC fourier module - DIY build notes - part 3

 This is the 3rd & final part of my build for the nonlinear circuits Fourier module.

This Eurorack module tackles the task of waveform & additive synthesis .

Links

Wiki

BOM

Youtube

The build notes for Part 1 & 2 are here:

Fourier - build notes... part 1

Fourier module DIY-- part 2

Headers next.

25  mono sockets

B100K linear taper pots

LEDs 

+ LEDs 

I'm using clear bipolar LEDs.

soldering the LEDs . almost there.

first tests.

I just love it when the module just works the first time.

Thanks Andrew.

NLC Fourier module DIY - part 2

 This is part two of my Fourier module build.

Part 1 is here:

• NLC - Fourier - build notes... part 1

It follows the basic principles of Fourier Synthesis, and being able potentially to design your own waveforms. There aren't many modules that do additive & Fourier synthesis so I'm looking forward to finish this.

The pots (or inputs) allow control of 7 sine (s1-s7) and 8 cosine (C1-C8) signals...... supposedly

being harmonics of the initial signals. “Supposedly” because, the waves

are not pure sinewaves, rather stepped pulse waves.

This module would be well paired with a oscilloscope so you could see the waveforms that you sculpt.

Andrew also reckons that this module needs to be patched into a low pass filter.

Links

Wiki

BOM

Youtube

Nonlinearcircuits Builders Guild on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/174583056349286/ 

074 opamps

resistors ... looks like the resistor matrix is complicated but there are only

three values... 

there are 109 x 10k, 23x 27K, 55 x 15K .

1k resistors on the second PCB

The TL072 opamp & diodes ...LL4148

Im using a S1JL for the power protection.

The two 12k resistors set the output gains for the 2 channels. 

I'm using 12K.

"At some settings the outputs may seem a bit quiet, though generally you

will see 10V p-p. If you want the outputs hotter, install a higher

value, say 22k" (Andrew F).

I'm using bipolar red/blue 3mm LEDs, so 3k3 is my value for RL.

These leds were the same used on the NLC sloth modules.

Final caps & resistors are on.

to be continued....